He Dies
by 875265
Summary: "When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written 'He dies.' … No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words… And yet, every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words 'He dies.' But because of the life we saw prior to the words."
1. Chapter 1

**Even though everyone knew the prognosis, it was** customary Emishi practice for the dying to be visited at least once by the doctor. Ame-san took one look at Ashitaka's body, marked by the telltale signs of purple underneath his robe, and went "Holy Shishigami, that one's a doozy."

Ashitaka tried to smile. "That's one way of putting it."

"That is some curse the Boar God put on you, huh? Luckily our children will never have to face that wrath. And it's all because of you." Ame-san rested her hand on the silk of his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ouji-sama. You lived so well."

"Yes, Ame-san. Thank you."

"In the meantime, while you're still here, we have some things to figure out. You're the last remaining heir to the throne, am I correct?"

He nodded once.

"Nobody else is set to take your place?"

"No one. I was an only child. Kaya and I… we never… "

The prince was choking up, so the doctor had to finish for him. "Never had the chance to marry. Have children. Well, I hate to make you feel worse, but this puts us in quite the predicament. We didn't get this far on our own, you know."

Ashitaka rolled onto his side. It may have sounded callous or cold the way she said it, but the only (and perhaps the last) doctor in the Emishi village didn't have the time or luxury of getting emotional.

"However, don't you worry bout a thing," she continued. "We're Emishi - we're strong. We've existed for over two hundred years; the gods can't be rid of us that easily." Ame-san rubbed his back. "You're not to worry, okay?"

Ashitaka didn't respond. And having nothing else to say, the doctor took her cue to go.


	2. Chapter 2

**At long last, the prince's body had made** the executive decision to give out. The curse had finally taken its toll on Ashitaka and he remained bedridden for the rest of his days - which were far and few between. And Kaya was supposed to just shut up and accept it.

His former bride-to-be waited on him hand and foot, bringing him hot broth and fresh sheets and distracting him from the pain however she could. Kaya had heard from the other villagers that her Ashitaka had been in the middle of a hunt when a sharp ache burst like lightning from his chest to his toes. He fell right off Yakul and landed face first in the creek.

Ashitaka reassured her that the Emishi people had been worthy of his sacrifice, of launching his arrow into the eye of Okkoto-nushi to save the village, but Kaya didn't care.

The village wasn't fated to watch the love of their life die right in front of them.

 **Ashitaka had heard the stories of** kings ruling from their beds, but living it was a completely different experience.

He was but seventeen, after all, burning with all kinds of adolescent energy. He was used to tending to others if need be, used to take a ride on his elk whenever he felt like it. To being the person everyone called on for problems, advice, help. Yes, here and there the villagers came to see him, seeking answers, but they also regarded his current state with a soft, singeing pity in their eyes. Now he could no longer lift an arm for too long or sit up or really do anything without a dull, persistent pain humming throughout his entire body.

However, to maintain sanity, Ashitaka had to reflect on the life he lived up to this point. He had saved not one but two civilizations, and the generations to come of both, along with perhaps the future of their children. He had helped restore balance between the forces of forest and industry.

He met someone.

Ashitaka shook the thought away. The Wolf Girl was long gone - helping to rebuild her own home.

Exactly what he should be doing.

 _At ease_ , he placated himself. _We mustn't dwell on things you haven't any control over._

 **Really, because that's all she** did - Hī-sama the shaman, wise woman, and Ashitaka's trusted advisor. Without the prince's gentle but firm hand to guide them, who would there be left to rule? It was up to her to pick up the pieces and keep the demons at bay and stop the gods from killing the last remaining Emishi village. No pressure.

The worst part of it all was that one could hardly blame the Boar God. She loved her village. Sometimes she wanted it to thrive.

Sometimes she wanted to invoke an angry spirit to tear them all apart whenever she thought of the prince in that bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**As Ashitaka's lids began to dim and droop, he was** suddenly blinded by the most beautiful sight he hadn't seen in what felt like ages.

Hī-sama hobbled in. "I tried to stop her…" she was saying. "This one's a fire child."

Eyes wide in shock, hand resting on the wall stood the Wolf Girl, framed by the doorway. Eventually she recovered and walked right over to the prince, clubbing him in the shoulder, sending blinding agony through his body. "Idiot," she spat. "Did you think you could just go ahead and die?"

Ashitaka fought for breath. "How's the forest?"

"Great, no thanks to the humans. Everytime we try to get something done we run into one. They're everywhere, little termites."

"And how have you been?"

"What?"

"I know how hard cleanup must be on you…"

"Don't be all nice to me when I'm mad at you!" She took his pillow and pummeled the life out of it, roughly shoving it back under his head. "There. Better?"

"It was fine before…"

"I hate to interrupt you lovebirds," Hī-sama said, "but Your Highness, it's time we talked about preparations. About what we are to do when you. You know."

"And when is that?" San asked Ashitaka.

"Any day now."

She smacked him harder this time - and even worse, on the same shoulder.

" _Wolf Girl!_ Shame on you!"

"Why… ?" Ashitaka moaned, rolling around.

"Why in Moro's name didn't you stay behind with me in the forest? So you could stay with them? Look at yourself! It's the humans' fault you're like this to begin with! We could have saved you. You know our water can heal." San averted her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "You could have stayed with me."

"No, he couldn't have."

"Why?" San whipped around to face the elder. "Who are you supposed to be? Following me around. Who are you?"

"Excuse you? I am Hī-sama, little girl. And we don't want him in the forest; we want him in here."

"In where?"

"In his home. The village. Where he belongs."

"That's funny. Because last I recall you banished him. Last I recall he got a deadly disease trying to save the village, when you lazy bums should have been - "

Hī-sama nearly fell over. "This is inappropriate decorum in front of a prince. You will apologize immediately for your disrespect."

San laughed wildly. "Respect! Respect? Let me tell you something about respect, old lady. You think it's respectful to - "

"Escort this young woman out, please." The racket had attracted the doctor and she called in a few men from outside the hut. "That's right, get her out. Get her…"

"Don't touch me!" San shouted, struggling. "I'll skewer you alive!"

When the hullabaloo had died down, Hī-sama looked proudly at Ashitaka, who returned her glance with a weak and withery one.

"Order must be restored. My Lord."

"I dealt with it for an entire week," he said. "You can deal with her for five minutes." And before she could ask him what he meant, he rolled over and nodded off into a dark, dreamless sleep, the medicine administered to him earlier already beginning to swim in his system.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ashitaka awoke that night to the soft sound of** labored breathing. His eyes adjusted to find the silhouette of Kaya weeping at the foot of his bed.

"Hey. Hey it's alright." He struggled to sit up. "Kaya, don't… Please d - "

"I'm fine, I'm _fine_ ," Kaya insisted, pounding the bed in frustration. "It's just so unfair, is all. Why you? What did you do to deserve this? What is the village to do when you're gone?"

"I'm sure that everyone will be - "

"What am I to do?"

She wanted answers that Ashitaka could not give. Which was probably a good thing, because his tongue grew heavy and his voice refused to work.

Kaya threw another sheet over him and left the room. And Ashitaka stayed up until dawn, unwilling and unable to lay back down.

 **The next morning, Ashitaka was** drifting in a haze somewhere on the brink of consciousness and the dreamtime when he was alerted to the sound of visitors.

Hī-sama placed a basket of dumplings, soup and vegetables by the bed. Kaya gingerly sat him upright, fluffing his pillow excessively. Asoto-sama the wise man kept his mind occupied with jokes and stories.

Ashitaka enjoyed all the attention; he truly did. But something kept niggling at the back of his mind. Once the conversation had subsided a little, it slipped out. "When I'm up there in the Pure Land, will you make sure the children keep the Emishi ways?" he asked.

"Only if you take us with you," Kaya said without hesitation.

Ashitaka blinked.

"That's ridiculous," Asoto-sama declared. "We are the last Emishi tribe - we cannot go all the way up into the Pure Land with him."

"Instead, we'll take you with all of us," Hī-sama swore. "When babies are born, when elders go. At feasts and festivals and special occasions. We'll carry your memory forever, Ouji-sama."

All at once, Ashitaka understood what this was all about. The gratitude, the platitudes, the overly accommodating behaviors; Hī-sama and Asoto-sama and Kaya were all making amends for the law that banished him when he'd been branded by the mark of Okkoto's curse.

They couldn't change tradition, but it had certainly changed them.

"You mustn't blame yourselves," Ashitaka said quietly, his gaze falling into his lap. "You didn't have a choice. It would have been dangerous to keep me in the village. Not to mention silly."

"That may be so, but our adherence to tradition nearly cost us one of the most important people in our lives." Hī-sama held his face in her wrinkled hands. "It is one of the biggest burdens we've ever had to shoulder. We're sorry."

Ashitaka's heart stirred. He pulled his head back and wiped his damp eyes on the sleeve of his robe.

"Ouji-sama…"

"What did you do?"

"I… I'm sorry," the old woman stuttered, puzzled. "I didn't mean to cause you any more pain, Your Highness."

The prince ducked his head and set to work on the bundle of food. The villagers all regarded his attempt to divert attention from the fact that he was smarting. Ashitaka held out a small bun and forced a smile - a consolation. "It's good."

"My Lord…"

"Come on, everyone," Kaya cut in cheerily. "It doesn't take a wise man to figure out there's work to be done today."

"Hey!" Asoto-sama protested.

Out they filed, one by one, with Hī-sama planting a kiss on the prince's forehead.

Ashitaka watched the door close. He looked out the window as he thought about the future. And let the tears return.


	5. Chapter 5

**In his dream, it was San's turn to have** alone time with the dying prince. She sat on the edge of Ashitaka's bed, sharpening a dagger as she spoke to him. "I just want you to know that I'm not going to miss you or care when you die. Not really."

His eyes darted up to hers, then away again. "I see," he said.

"None of us in the Cedar will. And especially not the gods."

"Okay."

"The forest will be a much better place without another human taking up space and messing things up. And I'm sorry that you have to be the sacrificial lamb for all of your kind, Ashitaka, I really am. But that's just the way it has to be."

The prince was dead silent. San looked over at him to see if he really was dead or if he had just fallen asleep from the dose given to him that night. His eyes were closed. But when he finally opened his mouth, he spoke with a clarity and confidence that he'd been lacking in recent days.

"You really are cruel, San. How could I mess things up any more than they already are when I can't even draw my bow anymore?"

San shrugged. "I just thought it'd be fair to get it off my chest."

"It's like you were raised by wolves."

It was then that a smile transformed her entire being. "My dear human," she said. "You finally get it."

 **Hī-sama was attempting to practice her daily** incantations, sitting in a circle drawn easily with help from the dew the early morning grass offered. So early in fact, that there was hardly anybody out there, save for a lone farmer tending the land.

She strained to hear the voice of just one spirit, but the energy around her was dull and dank and she deemed herself unable to concentrate. "I'm concerned," she sighed, pouring her teacup.

The farmer stopped plowing and turned, mopping his brow. "About Ouji-sama? We all are."

"I know. But I went in to check on him this morning and he was in the worst mood. If only there were something in the least that could revive his spirits…"

Suddenly, as if on cue, they heard footsteps at the gate. A wimpy, scared-looking man and a strong-willed, cleavage-baring woman approached, easily sliding it open.

"Where's security when you need them," Hī-sama muttered. "Hi. May we help you?"

"We're here to see the pr - OW!"

"We're here to see the prince," the woman finished, rubbing the spot on his stomach she smacked.

"Why?" And that was when a much taller lady appeared next to them. Perfectly pressed hakama, red kimono, huge cloak, shiny black hair. An empty sleeve hanging where her right arm should be. An air of confidence. The shaman and the farmer exchanged glances. It was none other than the notorious Lady Eboshi of Irontown.

"So," she said, wearing a determined grin. "Whose spirit needs reviving again?"

The air died. The farmer dropped his rake.

 _"Okkoto, come back!"_


	6. Chapter 6

**The doctor Ame-san poked her head** in. "Ouji-sama, I'm sorry to disturb you, but you have more visitors."

Ashitaka propped himself up. In walked Lady Eboshi, the warrior from Irontown he saved Kohroku and his wife Toki.

 _What a sight for sore eyes. And not in a good way._ He was stunned speechless.

But Kohroku broke down and bolted to the bed, burying his face in the prince's legs. "Don't go, Ashitaka," he slobbered into the sheets. "You saved my life. You have to stay."

Toki smothered a giggle. "What do you mean, _'he has to stay?'_ Where is he going, on a field trip?"

"... Don't leave me alone with her," Kohroku whispered and the prince patted his ponytail.

Lady Eboshi stepped forward. "And if we're about done with the dog and pony waterworks, it's my turn." She addressed Ashitaka. "I know we didn't always see eye to eye on the fundamental aspects of life, the two of us. But I figured I'd lose more sleep than I already have from working so hard if you were to go and die without me thanking you properly." She smiled down warmly at Ashitaka. "The things you did to help rebuild Irontown were just remarkable. All the work you did to help a - "

Kohroku sucked in a wet, shuddery gasp; Lady Eboshi stared him down and continued:

"All the work you did to help a community that wasn't yours after I kind of ruined it… those sacrifices you made. That immense burden you had to carry didn't help much either, did it?"

Ashitaka grit his teeth as tears came to his eyes.

"Anyway. I want the children of my town to be molded into people exactly like you. To learn to see with eyes unclouded and all that. I'm very proud. Our scribes will get to work immediately, immortalizing tales of your - "

Kohroku whimpered again and Lady Eboshi lost it.

"If you don't mind, do you think I can finish my thought for just a second? I'd like to finish my thought for just a second, if you don't mind - "

"I'm sorry, I can't help it! It's just so _sad!"_

"Thank you for the contributions you made to our town, Ashitaka," she said abruptly. "It won't be easy without you, but I'm sure we'll manage."

"I won't."

"Oh, that feels nice," Toki muttered.

Ashitaka was beaming inside. "Thank you for saying that, Eboshi-sama. And all of you; I appreciate your coming here. Even if it was just to say goodbye."

"Well, hey, today was my idea." Toki raised her hand.

"Great; then you can handle a double workload."

"Huh?! M-milady - !"

Kaya poked her head in. "Okay thanks, everyone."

"Wait. Just…" Kohroku lay his head on Ashitaka's knee and stroked it. "I-if I could just stay here for just a little while longer…"

"The doctor says you've been in here long enough."

"We were in here for like two minutes!" Toki protested.

But Kaya was having none of it. "You have family, you have friends, you have people of your own you need to attend to. It's time for you to go back now. It's time for you to go back to Irontown - "

"Hey hey hey - do you think you can calm down for a quick second?" Lady Eboshi asked, looming over the girl. "You're starting to irritate me a little bit."

Kaya shrunk. "I'm just passing along the message," she quivered. "Plus, you're making everyone uncomfortable."

The matriarch glanced outside. The Emishi villagers immediately looked away and pretended to be tending the land, working and talking to each other. Lady Eboshi laughed out loud, her hand on her hip. "Can't handle me yet, huh?"

"Ashitaka… " Kohroku sniffed noisily. "Ashitaka, if I had never met you, I - "

"Aaaaand you can meet some other prince to scrape you off your crybaby butt," Toki declared, pushing him out of the room. "Goodbye, sweet pea. It's been fun - By the way, you're still gorgeous." She leaned down to peck Ashitaka on the cheek.

Kaya narrowed her eyes as she watched Toki leave. "It's contagious."

"No it isn't!"


	7. Chapter 7

" **Bring the Wolf Girl back here," Hī-sama** instructed. "She has something she'd like to say to Your Highness."

Later that day, the same burly men hefted San back into the room. "Don't push me." A glance at the weakened prince in her periphery instantly softened her. "Sorry," she muttered, swaying a little like a chastised child.

This visual of the infamous Wolf Girl who terrorized villages and had no mercy in combat staring at her shoes was enough to make Ashitaka burst into laughter.

"Oh great. Now what have you done to him?" one of the men demanded.

"Is he broken?" his friend wondered.

"Oh he must be delirious…"

"Why Ouji-sama, this is the first I've seen you smile in a month," Hī-sama extolled.

"Is it any wonder? Being around all these humans every day has got him depressed."

"… And what do you think you are?"

"... A wolf."

Now it was Hī-sama's turn to laugh.

San turned to face Ashitaka once more. "And I mean it."

"It's okay."

"No it's not." San stepped forward. "It's wrong what they did to you." Then she whip-craned her neck towards the others. "And if any of you have a problem with that, or cause any more heartache to the prince, I'll rip your head right off."

"... I believe you," one of the men squeaked.

 **As Kaya bustled in and around** Ashitaka's room the next morning, the prince noticed she had something bundled up behind her back. After a few minutes it was getting hard to ignore and he finally decided that he had to know. "What do you have there?"

"Nothing." She grinned.

His interest piqued, Ashitaka sat up, which Kaya knew caused him even more pain than staying down. "Please tell me?"

She couldn't not show him now. Kaya made a noise in the back of her throat - "Don't laugh" - and thrust it out in front of her.

It was a sketch of him on papyrus, rough but not crude. Ashitaka was perched atop the red elk Yakul, in his traditional ensemble of a blue tunic, peach pants and bottom warmers. Eyebrows set, he wore a stern face, ready to launch an arrow into the distance at an enemy only he could see. Kaya sat beside him, curling into herself. _Could this get any more embarrassing?_

But Ashitaka's finger stroked the edge of the drawn bow. "Is that me?"

She nodded, her fingers twitching, fighting the urge to snatch it back and work on it some more.

"And you made this?"

"Mm-hm. Too much freetime on my hands, I suppose." Kaya sat on her hands, giddy because she couldn't deny that he liked it right now - he really liked it! "I can ask the welders to bronze it for me tomorrow, if you want. And hang it on the entrance to the gate. So people won't forget… "

Ashitaka couldn't stop staring at it, and Kaya could tell that he was grasping for something to say. That made her puff up with pride.

Finally, he handed the picture back. "It's beautiful, Kaya," he said, then turned away sadly. "But you mustn't do that. Bronze is precious and so hard to come by. It's arduous to make. We don't want to anger the gods again."

Kaya's pride puffed out. What would possess her to show him that in the first place? The drawing was supposed to make him feel better about himself, not worse. "Oh."

"I hope you understand."

"Of course," she said. Even though she knew that she would probably have it done without him.


	8. Chapter 8

**The chopsticks continued to hover in front** of the prince's face. "Please, Ashitaka."

"I said no thank you."

"Just one bite," Kaya kept urging the next day. "You don't want Yumi-san's food to go to waste, do you?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be later."

"No, I won't."

"Stop forcing it," Hī-sama said. "He's in pain - "

"He's not in too much pain to enjoy Yumi-san's famous pickled radishes…"

"Don't you ever just give it a rest?" San asked, and that's when Kaya snapped.

"No, I won't give it a rest! I won't give it a rest!" She slammed the utensils back into the bowl. "Why should I? He's not gone yet! We need him to keep up his strength! We _need_ him… !"

A saturated, uncomfortable silence followed. Ashitaka closed his eyes. He couldn't bear the sight of food anymore, as it hurt the insides of his mouth when he chewed. But it wasn't Kaya's fault, or anyone else's for that matter. He felt bad for being so short with her.

"Fine. If he doesn't want to eat." San snatched a radish and chewed it roughly. Then she climbed onto the bed, carefully straddling the prince and leaning into his mouth…

"Young lady, what on Earth do you think you're doing?"

"He likes this."

"… Get off of him, please," the shaman said, her eye twitching.

All of a sudden, the room got dark and started to spin. Ashitaka's vision blurred. "Look, I'm a little tired. I'd like to be alone for a while, if you don't mind."

Hī-sama and San exchanged glances. "Take all the time you need, Your Highness."

They left, Hī-sama nestling him into his pillow for the day and San squeezing his arm for reassurance, inadvertently causing him more pain.

Kaya stopped just short of reaching the knob. "This isn't easy for me either, you know," she said, resigned. "You think this is fun? It's not easy seeing the man you're engaged to just…" She exhaled loudly. "But don't shut me out, Ashitaka. I come in here every morning and try my best. I mean at least I'm trying, right?"

Ashitaka put an arm over his eyes. He had been the cause of so much grief and heartache. All he wanted to do was apologize but he just couldn't form the words - he physically couldn't.

He was getting used to that feeling.

The door closed behind her. And Ashitaka prayed.

 **San dashed up to the doctors faster than** humanly possible. "Excuse me. It is after sundown. Give the prince his pain shot, please."

"Miss San, I was going to -"

"Oh good, go ahead - "

"In just a few minutes."

"Well - please - it's after sundown. It's after sundown." She moved onto someone else. "I don't see why he has to have this pain…"

"Ma'am, it's not my patient…"

"It's time for his shot. Do you understand? Do something!" San had turned up the volume by now, frantically shaking the elders' shoulders and running around in a big circle. "All he has to do is hold out until sundown! And it's past sundown! It's pain - Ashitaka's in pain! Give him the shot; do you hear me?"

"You're going to behave - "

" _Give Your Highness the shot!"_

Ame-san popped out of nowhere and wasted no time hurrying into the prince's quarters.

San straightened her shoulders and exhaled. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

**In a classic cliché that is the stuff** of storybooks, Ashitaka lay surrounded by loved ones. Basically the entire village plus San. But how the entire village plus San could fit into one healing room even the wise woman couldn't figure out.

So a few of the strongmen lifted the prince outside and saddled him up to Yakul as they rode up Ashitaka's favorite hillside. There, they sat him against a tree on a throne welded together with stone. Unsurprisingly, this wasn't very comfortable, and sitting up straight in the hard seat added to the throbbing in his aching limbs and stiff joints.

But Ashitaka smiled and focused on enjoying the performances, suppressing the pain it caused him.

All afternoon he watched the children reenact his achievements - from his coronation as a child to his ending the Woman vs. Nature conflict to his revival of the Forest Spirit. The latter was a child propping up a poorly carved imitation head onto his own, but it was the thought that counted.

Smoke from the fire along with music from the flutes, strings and drums floated down the mountain and attracted all kinds of creatures. Birds and animals, woodland spirits and the like. Even though kodama mainly inhabited trees, three came up to nestle in the prince's lap and two straddled each of his feet. Thankfully, they were light as a feather.

"What are those little things?" a villager asked, curious.

"Droopy-eyed soulless children," his wife said. "Poor things. Would they like to join the play?"

Everyone laughed.

A piercing ache shot up the prince's back, and Ashitaka decided he was ready for his bed. "Thank you for this wonderful night," he said. "You've all made me very happy."

"Don't thank us just yet."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Hī-sama smiled at him. "Not until we do something to be worthy of it. Let us give back to the man who gave so much to us." The shaman turned her attention to the families. "Everybody, one nice thing about our prince. Go."

"Are you kidding me?" San cackled. "What a sapfest! This is so corn - " A stick to her head cut her off, and she growled in compliance.

"You're very brave, Ouji-sama," a little voice chirped from the back.

"Indeed. Very kind to the smallest among us." One of elders nodded. "I know it wasn't easy to bear the brunt of our entire village. But you did, and you forever have my respect. You're a noble leader."

"A true hero," another added.

"A good man."

"Honor incarnate!"

"Gee, I wish I could shoot a bow and arrow as good as you," a young man said wistfully.

"I want to be just like you when I grow up," a boy marveled.

"I want to _be_ you."

"I want to be you too!"

"But you're a girl!"

"So?"

The pain seemed to melt away as Ashitaka hid a smile. His chest felt lighter than it had in weeks.

"I've always admired your fighting spirit, your fortitude. Your moral compass…"

"And that was not the first time you risked your life to save this village, either. You've done it several times in the past. And we're grateful every time."

"You're totally my hero!"

"I'm gonna miss you… "

"Everybody is going to miss you very much, Ouji-sama. The animals love you. The Forest Spirit reveres you. Kodama adore you. The children - "

"Did you just lump the children in with animals?"

"… No, I lumped them in with kodama."

"Protector of the innocent. Defender of the weak."

"Thanks for being the one human I hate the least," San admitted.

"Do we still have to have her here?" someone whispered. "She's rude and she smells."

"I can hear you."

" - as I was saying, Miss San is a lovely woman…"

" _Wolf!"_

"You've made us proud to be Emishi." The praises resumed. "Very, very proud."

"Very pleased."

"I love the respect you give to all forms of life."

"Even the old people."

"Hey!"

"I like the help you give to people you don't know very well. For the good of the balance, and all that."

"I liked your little bun… "

"I love how strong you are… "

Hī-sama tilted her head. "I love how moved you are."

Ashitaka had buried his face in his armrest, no longer able to stem the flow of sobs wracking his body. Yakul moved to comfort him, nuzzling the top of the prince's head. He was really getting tired of crying all the time.

However, the village didn't seem to mind. If anything, they seemed to welcome the infectious emotion and the little ones ran to him in noisy floods of tears.

"Careful, children," Hī-sama tried to warn. "Ouji-sama is in pain…"

But the children were already piling on top of the kodama that were already piled on top of the prince. The adults piled onto their kids. The elders piled onto their kids. And the gods of the forest must have been allergic to the smell of humans and the pesky emotions swirling around them, for they hung back at the edge of their home, keeping watch over all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Night had fallen. The adults strapped their** snoring littleones to their backs and began the long walk downhill. The strongmen had already followed suit with the prince and then his makeshift seat, bidding Yakul along.

Kaya set to work collecting discarded bowls and chopsticks. She sank down and stared at the imprint the throne of stones left behind in the grass. Hī-sama came up behind her.

"Leave it there. We'll get it tomorrow."

"I might as well get it up now; I'm sure there's enough to be done tomorrow." She turned around. "Hī-sama, when he wakes up, can you ask him if he had a good time tonight?"

"That won't be necessary, my dear."

Kaya nodded solemnly. She looked up at the starry sky and listened to the leaves rustle in the wind. "Do you think he had a good time tonight?"

"I think there's no doubt."

"And everyone else?"

"Absolutely."

"What's to become of the last Emishi tribe?"

Hī-sama was visibly caught off guard. "Goodness, child. Don't startle me with questions like that. I may be the wise woman, but I certainly don't know all the answers." She scooped Kaya into a grandmotherly hug, clattering the dishes. "I'm sure the only way we can truly know is if we stick around long enough to find out, yes?"

She felt Kaya nod. She guided her hand to set down the porcelain. "But right now, it's late. Let's just try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

"When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written _'He dies.'_ That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is _'He dies.'_ And yet, every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words _'He dies.'_ But because of the life we saw prior to the words."

Dustin Hoffman, _Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium_ (2007)


End file.
